YuGiOh: Signers Unite
by Drachesoul
Summary: The Dark Signers are back, and it's up to Yusei, Crow and the rest of the Signers to defeat them. When a new threat forces these two warring groups to work together, the consequences are unprecedented.
1. Chapter 1

A cold wind blew through the large room, making the hooded figures shiver and huddle closer together.

"W-when is h-he going to get h-here," complained one, wrapping his arms around himself in a vain attempt to thwart the cold.

"I don't know!" snapped another in response. "All I'm aware of is the fact that he's supposed to arrive here. As for when, I don't know," she sighed. The room was steadily growing more frigid, as the candles they had set out minutes before winked out one by one.

"Hmmmm…I'm starving," mused a third. The group dissolved into conversation, unaware of the tall figure cloaked in darkness slowly approaching them.

"I wonder," said a cold, angry voice. The talking ceased abruptly, and the six members turned around to face their leader. "Do _any_ of you imbeciles have even the slightest plan for taking down the Signers?"

One of the newest members, a young man with smooth black hair, raised his hand tentatively. "Um..Sir? I was thinking…what if we…"

"Silence, fool! It was a rhetorical question." The dark figure massaged his temples, taking in a deep breath, clearly frustrated. The shadowy tendrils floating around him multiplied and seemed to reach for the unfortunate man, until they froze in their tracks, stopped by the very man they emanated from.

"Since none of you seem to have the brains for this incredibly simple task," he whispered sarcastically. "I will sacrifice my time and energy and peace of mind to do this for you." He waited several seconds before his followers suddenly began talking all at once, placating him and assuring that they would get the work done so he didn't have to.

"Thank you." He cleared his throat and began to speak louder, more forcefully, instilling fear and absolute silence in all of his followers. "As you know, the first set of Dark Signers failed to eliminate those wretched children who carry the Mark of the Crimson Dragon. They have been soundly defeated, but little do those foolish people know that we have returned, and will use any means necessary to succeed this time around." He pointed to the six members seated around the table, calling them by name.

"I have chosen you to use your exceptional Dueling skills to defeat the Signers and restore the rightful power to this world." A gleaming purple petroglyph sketched itself on his forearm, the shape of a wolf's head. One by one, he touched his followers and a purple mark subsequently appeared on everyone's forearm. The Signs glinted malevolently, tendrils of dark power seeping out of the newly created Dark Signers. As one, they lifted their arms and shouted in unison.

"THE REIGN OF THE CRIMSON DRAGON WILL END!"

Two Days Later-12: 00 P.M. New Domino City.

"Hey Mikhaela, can you pass me the wrench?" called Yusei. She selected a wrench and passed it under the Duel Runner to a waiting Yusei.

"How's everything going with the engine?" she said, glancing to where Yusei's legs stuck out from under her Duel Runner. After unceremoniously crashing her Runner into Yusei's during a Duel, she sheepishly tugged what remained of her Duel Runner to Yusei's garage and begged him to fix it. He agreed and began working on it. After two days, her precious Runner finally began to resemble its former self, albeit without an engine.

"It's going good. But we'll have to let the Runner cool down before I weld the final pieces on. This is really delicate work, and I don't want anything bad to happen."

"Hey, Yusei?" she asked.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"I'm sorry if I'm causing you trouble with this," she mumbled. He backed out from his position under the Duel Runner, and propped himself up on both arms.

"Hey, don't sweat it. After all, it's kind of my fault that I ran into you." He ran his hand through his hair sheepishly. Crawling back under the Runner, he made a few minor adjustments before crawling back out and gently placing the hood back on, screwing it in place.

"Ok. It's all fixed. It just needs to stay here for a day or two without any racing, or sudden changes in temperature or it might not stay fixed. The garage is temperature-controlled, so the bike shouldn't be affected by any abrupt changes." Placing the screwdriver on a metal tray, he wiped his oil-stained fingers on a rag, and threw a canvas cover over the newly repaired bike.

"Thanks a lot, Yusei. I really didn't know anyone else to come to for a repair like this. So what do I owe you?"

Yusei scratched his forehead, calculating the cost. "Well it was an expensive repair, but since I'm the one who ran into you—"

"Hello, everybody!" A cheerful voice rang through the garage, followed by a burst of hot summer air. Sakura, a Duelist that specialized in Fairy-type monsters, stood at the threshold, the door wide open. Mikhaela's mouth dropped open as her Runner made a ghastly puttering sound before falling apart again, the tentative welding that had been holding it together breaking.

"I—I um…" she looked at her Runner.

"Oh, no." Yusei muttered. "Sakura, what have I told you about intruding when the 'Do Not Disturb' sign was hanging on the door?" He quickly inspected the Runner for any signs of other damage, before nodding, convinced that he could just re-weld the broken parts.

"Oh, sorry!" Sakura said airily, breezing past the door, leaving it still open. "I just couldn't wait to tell you! Guess what? There's going to be a Turbo Tournament next week." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a flyer, smoothing it out before handing it to him. Yusei scanned it for a minute before placing it in his own pocket.

"Doesn't it sound fun?" Sakura asked.

"Well, yeah, it does, but I've kind of got a major repair job going on right now." He glanced at the remains of Mikhaela's Runner.

"Um…it's okay Yusei," interrupted Mikhaela. "I don't mind, as long as it's fixed before the Tournament." She got up and made to leave. "As for the payment…"

"Don't worry, Miki. It's on the house." Yusei smiled.

She grinned and picked up her duel disk, leaving her Runner in Yusei's hands. Sakura watched her go and made sure she was out of earshot before muttering.

"I think you like her."

Yusei swatted her shoulder. "I do not." But he couldn't help staring at her; she was so pretty. He sighed and picked up his screwdriver, the tips of his ears turning red.

"And I think she likes you." Sakura sang.

"Aw, shut up, Sakura" he complained. But he couldn't help but smile. Maybe he should get to know this girl. She certainly was a powerful Duelist, but there was something about her, a sort of aura about her that drew him to her. He went around and picked up the engine, placing it on a table. Yes, he would talk to her more. Maybe, just maybe, she was the one.


	2. Chapter 2

Closing the door to Yusei's garage behind her, Mikhaela made her way to the Duelist's Sanctuary, a combination card store, dueling arena, and dormitory. She showed her I.D. to the doorman and he let her in, holding the door open for her. She thanked him and walked inside.

From the outside, the Duelist's Sanctuary looked like a small, homey building, but inside, a Duelist would enter a different world. The Duelist's Sanctuary, or DuelSanc as the residents fondly called it, didn't really look like much as you walked in. A large desk, at which a friendly receptionist sat, was where you registered. Another large desk barred the way to a moving walkway, which would transport them underground. A Duelist staying in the dormitory section had a special I.D. card that allowed them unlimited access to the different facets of the underground world, but a visitor had to pay to receive access to the high-tech duel arenas. Flashing her card at the receptionist, she walked up a set of wide white stairs and entered the dormitories.

"Hey, Mikhaela!" A teenage boy with auburn hair greeted her. He was her next-door neighbor, an outgoing Duelist who loved to tag battle. He said it was so he could see the relationship between a Duelist and their deck, but Mikhaela knew it was so if he ever had to face them in the future, he could cleverly devise a plan to bring them down.

"Hey, Jaden, how've you been?" she asked. Jaden was well known as perhaps the most powerful Duelist that Duel Academy had ever seen. He had heard about New Domino City's reputation for strong duelists and high-speed turbo duels, and had traveled with his best friend Syrus to compete. Syrus had left two weeks ago to teach a class of younger duelists how to play strategically, and Jaden had stayed behind.

"Not bad, not bad at all. Hey, I was to tell you that someone wanted to duel against you. They're waiting in the arena."

"Huh. I guess I should go." She dug out her dorm key, and twisted it in the lock. She fetched her duel disk and her deck and hastily shut the door. She rushed down the stairs, and halting at the reception desk, panting and out of breath.

"H-hi," she gasped. "Jaden told me that someone wanted to duel me?" The receptionist looked up and nodded, typing furiously on her computer for a moment.

"Hmmmm…let's see here…ah, yes. Your friend was quite correct. There is a Duelist waiting for you. She is on arena number eleven. She pressed a button and the gate leading to the walkway swung open.

"Thanks," Mikhaela said breathlessly. She walked through the gate, and onto the walkway.

Several LED screens displayed the various features of the DuelSanc, from the latest technology and turbo track, to the card store stacked to the roof with almost any card you could imagine. Mikhaela ignored all of this. She had been living here for as long as she could remember, the weekly bills delivered to her room always stamped with a "PAID IN FULL" She fidgeted on one foot, while an automated voice warned Duelists about the dangers of turbo dueling until the walkway abruptly ended. She stepped off of it and into a bright light.

When she could see again, she was greeted by a host of bright lamps and the telltale rainbow hue of the holographic systems. Swiping her card at the entrance, it beeped cheerfully and granted her access to the Duel Arenas. Sixteen different arenas occupied the center, with comfortable seats encircling the sides, allowing visitors and enthusiasts to watch the duel from a safe distance. A bridge led to these arenas, as three different turbo tracks followed a circuit around the central arena. Right now, a turbo duel was in progress, and the bridges were clogged with people. _Hmmm… I guess someone popular is dueling today._ Pushing her way through the crowd of people, she scanned a screen listing all the combatants of the arenas. She spotted her name, next to that of a girl named… _Oh, no, you have got to be kidding me. _

"Hey! Mikhaela, over here," shouted the loud voice. It was Sakura, the same girl who had put an end to her Runner's fragile state of repair. Mikhaela gritted her teeth. No matter how mad she may be at her, she would not lose her temper. She'd take out whatever anger she had during a duel.

"Hi, are you ready to duel?" Sakura nodded, and inserted her deck into a slot. The slot actually contained a fast processor, which would record every card in her deck, provide her with a virtual copy, and make sure she was within the rules. In addition, the slot removed any trace marks or scents on the deck, so a duelist couldn't cheat.

"Yep, I'm all set." Mikhaela nodded and sent her deck through the slot. The machine, satisfied that she wasn't about to cheat, beeped and ejected her deck.

The two opponents walked onto opposite platforms, and the circuits started up, emitting a low humming sound. A large screen powered on and the names of the two Duelists lit up the screen. Several people watching the turbo duel turned around and walked over. _I guess I have a fan base._

"Are you ready?" called Sakura.

"Oh, yeah!" she replied. A red life point counter glowed underneath each Duelist's name, counting 4000 life points.

"DUEL!"


	3. Chapter 3

"I'll start!" Mikhaela drew a card. She smiled.

"I'll summon Yomi Ship in defense mode!" she placed the card sideways on the monitor, and the holographic projectors read the data and projected a Yomi Ship onto the field. It looked like Viking longboat, with cargo boxes stacked precariously on deck.

"Try and get past it," she taunted. "I'll place one card face down and end my turn"

"Very well, I shall!" replied Sakura.

Sakura drew her card and said, "I summon Dark Valkyria in attack mode!" Mikhaela heard a flutter of wings, and saw a bright pinpoint of light shoot onto the field. The light slowly faded to reveal a winged woman clutching the staff. Her ebony wings fluttered and wicked looking armor adorned her body. A display on the board showed the Valkyria with a devastating 1800 attack points; that was more than enough to defeat Mikhaela's Yomi Ship!

"Now go my Valkyria! Attack the Yomi Ship." The demonic warrior shot forward and raked her nails through the ship, cutting it in half. The hologram shattered and Mikhaela reluctantly placed her card in the graveyard. But as she did so, a smile grew across her face.

"What are you smiling at?" asked Sakura.

"Ha! When your monster destroyed my Yomi Ship, you activated its special ability." A spectral copy of the once magnificent ship floated from the graveyard. Without warning, two sets of rusty chains shot from the bow and wrapped around the demonic Gemini monster, constricting it. The monster let out a hideous scream as she was dragged to the boat. The boat and its victim slowly drifted off into the graveyard.

"What did you do?" cried Sakura.

"When Yomi Ship is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, it drags the attacking monster down with it. You made the mistake of attacking without reading the fine print." Mikhaela smirked.

Sakura grimaced and placed Dark Valkyria in the graveyard. "I'm sorry, my friend. I promise to look beyond the move next time." She placed two cards face down. "I admit, that was a good move. I let my over eagerness lead my decisions, not my logic. But I promise that won't happen again." She gestured to her opponent. "I'll place two cards facedown and end my turn"

_Now maybe you won't underestimate the power of my cards._ Mikhaela drew a card and felt a tingle of power course through her. _This card will lead me to victory, I'm sure of it._

"First I'll activate my facedown card, Heavy Storm." A vicious wind swept through the arena, rattling the screens and causing the players to shield their eyes. Sakura's facedown cards shattered, and she sent them to the graveyard.

"So it wasn't a trap card you placed face down, was it?"

"Nope. But it served its purpose anyway." She selected one of the remaining cards in her hand. "I'll play the spell card Terreforming!" Suddenly the field was engulfed in a holographic version of a planet, dirty brown and dusty.

"This allows me to search my deck for any field spell card and add it to my hand" Rummaging around in her deck for a minute, she concentrated and finally picked one. "And the one I choose to add and play is A Legendary Ocean." The dusty planet disappeared and the whole arena seemed to sink underwater. The crumbled remains of an underwater city lay sprawled all over the arena, and Sakura could just see the sun shining through the waves. _Now this is more like it, _thought Mikhaela. _Water is my element. Let's see her try to get past it._ "I presume you know what this card does, am I correct?" called Mikhaela. Sakura merely nodded.

"Of course I know what it does," she replied sarcastically. _And I don't want to know what happens next,_ she thought in fear.

"Then you'll know that I can summon my Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness without having to Tribute a monster." Mikhaela triumphantly threw down a card in attack mode.

A cloudy shape began to float forward. An earsplitting roar shook the stadium and the blurry creature sharpened into focus. A large killer whale, it's mouth full of vicious teeth barreled toward the field, stopping just short of Mikhaela, who stood without flinching. It turned around and settled in front of its owner, bellowing at its opponent. Sakura's face blanched in fear. She knew what was coming next. She composed herself and readied her body for an attack. Without any monsters or spells do defend her precious life points, she'd be helpless against the whale's power.

"Attack!" Mikhaela cried, and the whale swam forward, its mouth open and ready to deliver a fatal bite. Sakura screamed and closed her eyes. The last thing Sakura remembered before sinking into milky darkness was the whale's teeth closing around her body.


	4. Chapter 4

"Whoa, hey! Are you okay?" asked Mikhaela, her brow creased in concern. She was sitting next to Sakura, having manually ended the duel and jumping onto the field to race to her.

"What?" Sakura said fuzzily. Her eyes blinked open and Mikhaela's face sharpened into view. Her memory flooded back to her, and she gasped. "The duel!" She attempted to stand up, but fell back to the floor, dazed.

"Hey, calm down." Mikhaela glanced at the now empty duel field. "I manually ended the duel."

"You mean you forfeit? God, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…well you know—"

"Faint?" interjected Mikhaela. Sakura nodded. "Well, I have to admit, my whale has never frightened someone like that before…"

"I-I don't think it was your whale." Sakura looked around before whispering, "I've seen you duel before. Your talent is incredible and you seem so confident. Just like Yusei and Crow." She leaned forward, hugging her duel disk. "I can't help but think that something is going to happen soon. Something bad."

As if the Fates had heard her prediction, a dark shadow crossed over the sky, although the two couldn't see it. The air started to chill, and even here, hundreds of feet below ground, everyone started feeling cold. The LED screen above the duel arenas blanked out for a minute before shutting down completely, blanketing the DuelSanctuary in an eerie silence.

"Huh? What's happening?" wondered Mikhaela. Sakura shivered and drew close to Mikhaela.

"I think I know…but it hasn't happened since they were defeated." she mumbled more to herself.

"What are you talking about?" All of a sudden, a duel screen regained power. A shadowy figure loomed over the inhabitants and cackled evilly.

"Muahaha!" he said menacingly.

"Hey! We were told not to laugh evilly. So why are you doing it?" mentioned a figure off screen.

"Ssssh! They don't know that. Shut up, Scarlet!" hissed the shadow. "Ahem. As of now, all of you people are under lockdown. You will not leave until the one called Sakura Tsuki makes her way outside. We have a score to settle." Sakura's face blanched.

"Hey, do you know this creep?" asked Mikhaela. She clutched her duel disk and stared right at the monitor. "Where are you going?"

"I have to duel him. It was a long time ago, but I beat him in a duel once before and he lost everything. I assume that's why he's here now." She stood up straight and walked forward, but Mikhaela stopped her.

"You just got up! There's no way you're ready for a duel again," she commented, pushing Sakura back.

"I have to. If I don't he'll get angry, and then he might start hurting people." She sighed. "For the sake of everyone here, I'll duel."

"Fine. But I'll come too." She strapped on her duel disk and gathered her deck from her side of the field. "Let's go."

"Ow! God, Scarlet, what was that for?" complained Abraxas. He winced and rubbed his head.

"Well, let's see. That was for disobeying orders." She hit him again. "And _that_ is for making our group look stupid." They were standing just outside the entrance to the DuelSanctuary, the receptionist hastily captured and tied up. They had hacked into the computer system from there. Actually, Scarlet did the hacking, and Abraxas stood on the sidelines, waiting for her to finish. Then he had elbowed her out of the way and taken control of the duel screens.

"I was just trying to tempt her out here," he explained to Scarlet who rolled her eyes in response.

Scarlet rolled up her sleeve to reveal the scorpion petroglyph burned into her skin. She pointed to a security camera's feed showing Sakura and another girl walking alongside her.

"She would have come along sooner or later. She shows power related to the Crimson Dragon. They can't keep their grubby claws out of our business." Abraxas stared at the screen, perplexed.

"I don't get it. We dueled her before and she didn't show even the slightest inkling of power." Scarlet sighed and jabbed her finger not at Sakura, but at the other girl walking alongside her.

"Not, Sakura, you nimrod. The other girl. She's been touched by Crimson Dragon energy. But it's odd…the mark hasn't yet manifested itself." _But it's definitely there,_ she thought. _She must be suppressing it somehow._

"So, which one do you want to take?" He stared hungrily at the screen. "I want Sakura. She'll pay for what she did"

"Fine. I'll take the vessel. She should be no match for a scorpion's poison." She looked down the walkway, which had shut down as per regulation. Two indistinct figures slowly made their way to the lobby.

"They're here." She hopped off the desk, activating her duel disk. Her Dark Signer Mark itched incessantly, as she readied herself for battle.

Together, Mikhaela and Sakura approached the Dark Signers. Mikhaela glimpsed the purple scorpion and gasped in alarm. She grabbed Sakura's arm.

"I thought you said that they had been defeated." Sakura looked where Mikhaela was pointing and her eyes widened.

"I _thought_ they had been. And now he's one of them too."

"Who?" asked Mikhaela. The larger of the figures stood up and approached the two.

"Hello, Sakura," he said. "It's been far too long." She brushed past Mikhaela and walked up to him. With a hateful look in her eyes, she slapped him across the face. The other figure stifled a laugh.

"Ow! Why does everybody keep hitting me?" He glowered at Sakura and activated his duel disk. Sakura replied in kind. Mikhaela went to go help her newfound friend and the other figure appeared behind her, holding her back.

"Not just yet, sweetie. First I want to deal with you." Scarlet smiled and forcefully activated Mikhaela's disk.

Before she was pulled outside, Mikhaela had just enough time to shout a question at Sakura.

"Who is he?"

"I thought you would have figured it out by now. This nimrod is my ex-boyfriend."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello! I feel so loved that people are bothering to read this story…and I could use your help. Mikhaela could use another partner in her fight…anyone that wants to be in this story just has to message me or post a review. That way I can see what people want to read. Bye. **

** -Drachesoul**

"I am _not_ a nimrod," Abraxas muttered under his breath, securing his deck to the duel disk and motioning for Sakura to do the same. She walked forward and planted her feet, inhaling loudly and activated her Duel Disk. _Challenge Made—Accept? _ She pressed the yes button and the whole parking lot blurred as if a painter became annoyed with his masterpiece. Shadows lengthened and soon all Sakura could see was inky blackness. She instantly knew that this was no ordinary duel, and that losing could prove very dangerous.

"Where did you take me?" she demanded. "because if you've kidnapped me again, I swear to God—"

"NO! Gosh, relax will you?" he yelled back, clearly no longer portraying the expression of calm indifference that he was ordered to. So, seeming to realize for the first time that he was shouting, he took several deep breaths and held out his hands in a futile attempt to placate the irate girl.

"Look, Sakura," he sighed. "I know that I couldn't be the boyfriend that you wanted me to be, but I plan to make it up to you." Sakura looked at him skeptically and he opened a small hole in the darkness, revealing the parking lot of the Duel Sanctuary.

"What? It's the parking lot," she breathed.

"See? I didn't take you anywhere," he whined. She glared at him icily and he coughed, straightening his outfit and hardening his expression. "But I have a duty right now. A job to perform, one that I do of my own will. I must take your Ancient Fairy Dragon…" She looked at him quizzically and he said: "You do have it with you right?"

"Oh my God, Abraxas. Do you not even remember who I have in my deck?" She stormed up to him, anger etched across her face.

"First you cheat on me with this ugly girl and now you forget the deck that has trounced your sorry ass time and time again?" she looked completely infuriated, and it was all Abraxas could do to keep from running away in pure terror. "Fine. So be it. Your cockiness ends here, you two-timing idiotic jerk!." She stepped back and drew her cards.

"I activate the field spell card Sanctuary in the Sky!" The shadowy area transformed as a huge building appeared, reminiscent of old, ancient Greek architecture. The sky was a bright blue color, the clouds as fluffy as sheep. The entire location radiated a calm serene feeling, and Sakura felt at peace, knowing that with this field spell, she was in no danger.

Abraxas stepped backward in disgust, repelled by the sudden light. Maybe he shouldn't have challenged her. But how could his master have been incorrect? He said that the one scorned by his love would be in possession of the Ancient Fairy Dragon. Oh, sh—

She wasn't the only one that he cheated with. Oh, boy, had he made a mistake. And now she was as angry as he had ever seen.

"It's time for you to get a taste of your own medicine," said Sakura. Damn.

**Meanwhile…**

"Sakura!" Mikhaela yelled, as her newfound friend disappeared into the darkness. She knew that Sakura would have no problem defeating Abraxas, but he was her ex after all. And Mikhaela had first-hand experience in the matter, so she knew for a fact that love, no matter how old, could make people do stupid things. "Dammit," she swore.

"Now, now young one. It's not polite to curse in front of other people," her opponent tittered, drawing her cards.

"Yeah, I realize that. But last time I checked, people don't wear that shirt with those shoes, nor do they have eyes that look like a bug's." she shot back.

The woman's eyes narrowed, making her face look even more abhuman.

"The only reason you're not finished yet is because I…_enjoy_ playing with my food." The scorpion petroglyph glowed on her arm, and her outline became cloaked in a sickly green color.

"What are you?" Mikhaela growled as she picked up her first five cards. "The last I heard from Yusei, there were no scorpion signers."

"I may be new," Scarlet hissed. "But I have far more experience than you, wretched Signer." That statement made Mikhaela stop in her tracks. _Signer?_

"Look, Scarlet, you must be mistaken. T-the only signers are Yusei, Jack, Akiza, Luna, and that Crow dude."

"Well, look who's not informed," jeered the Dark Signer. "The reason that the Dark Signers have reformed is because your precious dragon saw something to scare it. And now there are two others with the blessing of the Dragon."

Everything suddenly clicked. So that's why her monsters have been acting stranger, more protective of her. It also explained why Yusei had formed a friendship with her._ And here I thought we had nothing in common, _she thought dryly.

"Done reminiscing, are we?" simpered Scarlet.

"Gee, I wouldn't want to waste any more of your time," grumbled Mikhaela. "Ready?"

"More than you know, little Duelist. More than you know."

**A/N: So what do you think? But Miki wants a new friend…**


End file.
